Leicester holding out on Maguire
Manchester United’s pursuit of Harry Maguire is threatening to drag into the final week of the transfer window, with the club still reluctant to pay Leicester’s asking price of around £90million.
Maguire has told Leicester’s board and management staff that he is keen to move to Old Trafford, but United are unwilling to meet the fee demanded by Leicester.
As reported by The Daily Telegraph on July 2, Leicester are seeking a world-record fee for a defender, understood to be an initial £85million plus add-ons, which would smash the £75million paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk.
Leicester told United the price during initial talks in May and that figure will not change before the transfer deadline a week tomorrow.
Maguire, 26, will be cleared to leave if any club meet Leicester’s valuation but it is understood that, as of last night, United were still some way from making progress. They had a £60million bid turned down earlier this month.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s determination to sign Maguire will only increase after he confirmed Eric Bailly would be out for up to five months after surgery on his right knee which he injured in the pre-season game against Tottenham Hotspur in Shanghai.
United, meanwhile, have opened talks with Juventus over a possible deal for Paulo Dybala, the forward. Any deal could involve the departure of Romelu Lukaku. Inter Milan are also interested in Lukaku.